Water pressure reducing and circulating apparatus.



T. B. FORD.

WATER PRESSURE REDUCING AND OIRGULATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27,1911. 1,1 21,488. Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES Z5 l/VVE/VTOR W 1 77zommyfl/ 0/YZ By W ATTORNEYS "HE NORRISPETERS 50., PHOTU-LITHIL, wnsfluvm'um r). r

T. B. FORD.

WATER PRESSURE REDUCING AND OIRCULATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEP'1'.27,1911. 1 ,'1 21,488. Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

3 SEETSSHEET 2.

INVENTOR Q WITNESSES l, III! 7 F 'B) W 1% ATTORNEYS T. 132 FORD.

WATER PRESSURE REDUCING AND GIRCULATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTVQ'I, 1911. 1, 1 21,488.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ul- Nun-m1, PETERS :0. PHOTO-LI1PIIL. wAsHI/vmnN. I). 1

UMTED .sTa'rEs PATENT ent re I THOM S B. pecan, or new YORK, iv v.

WATER'PBESSURE REDUCING AND- CIRCULATING APPARATUS.

culating Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The ob ect of the inventlon is to provide anew and lmproved waterpressure reducing and circulating apparatus more especially designed foruse in tall buildings and arranged to reduce the high water pressure toan adequate service pressure-and to insure a proper circulation ofthe-water.

For the purpose mentioned use is made of a closed tank having a highpressure inlet and a reduced pressure outlet, a reducing valve in thesaid inlet and a float-controlled air intake valve onthe said tank andadapted to close on the water rising to a predetermined levelin thetank, the water on a further inflow compressing the air confined in thetank until the air pressure equalizes the pressure to which the saidreducing valve is-set to close the latter.

, A practical embodiment of the invention isrepresented in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this'specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate'corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the water pressure reducing andcirculating apparatus; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation ofthe waterpressure reducing device; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectionalside elevation of the water-circulating de- As illustrated in Fig. 1, aheater A of any approved construction is located in the basement of atallbuilding and is connected by a pipe B with a roof tank C suppliedwith water in any suitable manner for filling the heater A. Theheater Ais also connected with a high pressure circulating pipe system Dconnected by a branch pipe Ewith a reducing valve F connected with'apipeG extending through a closed tank H and hav- 'ing perforations G forfilling the tank H with water, as hereinafter more fully described, theend of the pipe G beingconnected by a branch pipe I with a low pressurecirculating pipe system I.

The tank H (see Fig. 2) is provided on the top with an air intake valveJ having i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15,1914.

Application filed. September 27, 1911. Serial No. 651,513.

its valve stem J extending into the tank H to connect with ,a lever J 2carrying a float J adapted to rise and fall with the water rising andfalling in the tank H. l/Vhen the water in the tank H falls the airintake valve J is opened by the falling float J to allow air to passinto the tank H, and

when the water rises in the tank H to a predetermined level then thefloat'J in rising causes a closing of the valve J so that the air istrapped within the tank H, and

on a further inflowof water intothe tank Hthe trapped air is compressedto a point to which the reducing valve F is set, so that the lattercloses automatically. The inlet pipe J for the air intake valve J isprovided with a check valve K which allows ingress of the air butprevents the outflow of water in case the air intake valve isdisarranged and the tank H completely fills with water.

In order to provide an overflow for anducing valve F the valve L openson an excess of pressure and the water can flow.

through the relief valve L and its outlet L into the overflow pipe Jwith which the said outlet L is connected. The reducing valve F isarranged as follows: The valve body F of the reducing valve F isprovidedwith a valve seat F on which is adapted to be seated a valve Fconnected by a stem F with a, piston F mounted to slide in a casing Fattached to or forming part of the valve body F. A spring F pressesonvthe piston F and the tension of thespring F can be regulated by ascrew F screwingin the top of the casing F"- p t It will be noticed thatthe water under pressure from the pipeE in passing through the pipe Einto valve body F" exerts a pres- 2 sure on the under side of the pistonF and on thetop of the valve F so that the valve F readily opens toallow the water under high pressure to flow throughv the valve fee comesa deadendincase excess of water is open. \Vhen the water in the ,tanknHreaches a predeterminedlevel then the valve J closes, and on a furtherrising of the water in the ,tank'I-I, the air trappediin the tank iscompressed, and when the pressure of the compressed air equals thepressure :to

' a r pressure within the tank 1-1 is diminished, and .when the water inthe tank H reaches the first predetermined level then 'tlieair intakevalved again opens andlikewise th'e'reducing valved so that water canagain flow from the high pressure circulating. pipe system Dinto thetank1H.

The casing is provided with an overflow pipe N connected with theoverflow pipe J and having a checkxvalve'N, so that in caseofaccidentthe water in ,the upper .end of the casing fF -canpasshyway ofthe pipe N intotheoverflowpipe J By havingthe perforatedpipe G extend:ing throughthe tank H to-fillthe same and to connect the reducing valve.1? with the low pressure circulating. pipe system L the reducing valveheingopen the tankH be drawn through the perforatedpipe G, that is, thewater in theitank H remains undisturloed .while a straight water flow is.had trornthe pipeEthrough the openredueing valve F andthepipe-Gto thebranchpipe I of the low "pressure circulating "pipe sys tem I. As nowater ,is drawn out of the tank H during this time .it :is evident :thatthepressure reducing device ,is. rendered noiseless.

.In order to circulate the waterin thesystem, use is made oflapu nphaving cylinders O, 0 (see 3 0f diflferent diam te d p neenei utb thwthrand in thecylinders are mounted to reciprocate the pistons P, ,Pconnected with eachpther b fa m 132,30 th t e p sto m r i unison. Theupper end ofrthe cylinder 0 is connected by a'loranch pipe I with thelow pressure circulating system Land the upp end he rge cylinii iconnectedhy a pipe [0 with athree-way valve Q mounted on the top of thecylinderfi "lhe three-way valve Q is provided with a valve {body Q,having a here Q? connected with the pipezO ian'd a'lso connected at itsilowerend with a discharge ,pi'pe Q leading to a sewer or other place ofdischarge, and the bore Q 'is connected above the pipe-{O With tb an hip l on e ted i h h roof tank pipe B. A valve Q is adapted to be movedupxand down in the bore Q to either connect the pipes B and ,0? witheach other, or the pipes "O and Q The .ofthe cylinderOofthe pump 0.

.stemmQ of the valve is connected with a leveraRfulcrumed on abracket Qforming partof the valve body Q, and the lever B 1S pivotally connected.with ;the..=stem S of a float S rising and falling in a vessel T, pro-vvidedatits bottom with a smallport T pipe I havinga .valveII. andleading toa sewer or other place ofdischarge. Nor- -mall y,the Valve 1is'closed while the valve I*-isopened,.but.whenit is desired to drainthe low pressurecirculating,pipe system I .thenthe valve Pris closedand/the 'valvel is opened.

:Frointhehottomof the vessel T leads a connected with a branch-pipe Dvforming vpart 0f the high pressure circulating :pipe

system ,I). vThe pipeDis provided with a check valve D andthe pipes Dand.T iare' pipe T ,provided Wlthgfi check valve T and connected by a pipeD with the lower end i The lever B, previously mentioned, is

provided with .a fixed weight 1% and with ,aguideW ayfR on whichisadapted to travel v a movable weight R to insure quickaction o'fthelever B when the latter reaches an inclined position and the weight Rtravels from one end of the guide'way R to the" other end thereof.

hen the several parts are intheiposition shown in 'Fig. 3,.the vessel ,1hasgradually filled with water .fromthe .low pressure. circulating pipesystem 1,. so :that the .float S has imparted a swinging ;motion 430 thelever B to move ,the valve Q in position ;to .coni Iiect the pipe 0 withthe ,pipe Qt. New Water vpassing through gthe branch ,pipe 1 rom heaow'pre u e ci cula ing pipe-sysmovement of the pistons P, P owingato thelarger ,area of .rthe piston *P vagainst which stem Iintothemylinder Ocauses an upward -P,'Pthe watercontained inthe vessel T is drawn out ,byway of :theflpipes T and D into the lower end .of the cylinderO, itbeing understood that the check valve D isclosed duringthisinovementowing to the When water ,isdrawnout of the vessel T as described, thefloat S falls in the said vessel and thus imparts a swinging motion tothe .lever'R so that the .valveQ is moveddownw preponderance of"pressure in the pipe D; i

the pipe 0 into the auppeixend of thelcylinthat the piston P forces outthe water in the der'IO to force .the piston P downward'so l lower endof the cylinder 0, the forced out water passing through the pipe D intothe pipe D and into the high pressure circulating pipe system D, itbeing understood that during this movement the check valve T is closedwhile the check valve D is open.

The above described operation is repeated on the refilling of the tank Twith water from the low pressure circulating pipe system I, whereby thefloat S is raised, the valve Q is lifted to disconnect the pipes B and Oand to connect the pipe 0 with the pipe Q for the discharge of the waterfrom the cylinder 0 by way of the pipe 0 bore Q and the pipe Q on thenext upward movement of the connected pistons P and P.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the water from the low pressurecirculating pipe system I is returned to the high pressure circulatingpipe system D.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a service pressuretank, a tank pipe extending through said tank and connected with a lowpressure circulating pipe system, said tank pipe being provided withinthe tank with perforations, a high pressure supply pipe connected withthe other end of the tank pipe, a reducing valve in the high pressurepipe, a float controlled air intake valve for said tank, an air inletpipe for the intake valve, a check valve in said pipe, a relief valve onthe tank and set to a pressure exceeding that of the reducing valve, andan overflow pipe connected with the air inlet pipe intermediate of theintake valve and check valve, said overflow pipe being also connectedwith the relief valve and the reducing valve.

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a service pressuretank, a perforated pipe extending through the tank, a high pressuresupply pipe connected with the outer end of said perforated pipe, areducing valve in the high pressure pipe, a float controlled air intakevalve for the tank, an air inlet pipe for the intake valve, a checkvalve in said pipe, an overflow pipe connected with the air inlet valvebetween the intake valve and the check valve, and a pipe leading fromthe reducing valve to the overflow pipes In testimony whereof I havesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

'THOMAS E. FORD.

Witnesses:

THEO. G. HOSTER, PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for in cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

